


Masked

by Uploaded



Category: Dishonored (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Slight spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-25
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-26 12:36:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1688609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uploaded/pseuds/Uploaded
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Corvo Attano has been betrayed for the last time, royalist or no.<br/>There's not turning back, not now.<br/>Set just after Emily's rescue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. On uneven footing

**Author's Note:**

> Idea inspired by 'The Road Not Taken' by Svynakee
> 
> Just wanted to try and do a new story :)

Corvo silently grips onto the lift trying to clear his hazy vision and nausea, taking slow deep breaths through his nose; he doesn’t care about his ‘company’ _everything hurts._ He jolts slightly as the lift stops and opens, revealing obviously a man of stature and training- he holds himself in a relaxed formal pose. Yet Corvo knows to look beneath the beneath, the tenseness and power radiate in his form despite the Ex- Protectors drowsiness. He understands this man is not to be underestimated; _his stance matches my own._

The lift and red coated man move in synchronisation as he speaks; his face and voice blurry from the toxins in his system. _I can’t move…when did I become so trusting…so expendable?_

 _“I know a great deal bodyguard”_ a gravelly voice penetrates his ears, ringing in his mind.

_“I recognise those marks on your hand”_

Corvo’s hazed eyes try to zone in on this familiar stranger, never once confronted before on the matter but by Samuel. _The man who-_

_“A gift from your friend, the one who talks to you in the dark, talks to you when you visit his shrines; I’ve visited those shrines too.”_

**_He’s marked too, that power-_ **

_“And I know what it felt like to shove a blade into your empress.”_ He states nonchalantly as he examines Attano’s sword, unaware of the man’s inner rage and turmoil.

But what stops Corvo’s resentment were the last words he heard from this assassin.

_“But I don’t know you, who **you** are and **who** you fight for,_

_You’re a mystery and I can’t allow that.”_

A blow to the head cuts off any remark from the drugged man with one thought running through his mind.

_Who do **I** fight for?_

  _Who now?_

 


	2. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corvo draws up a *ahem* "plan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will speed up soon don't worry!
> 
> And yeah I don't own anything ;-;  
> one of these days!

Drowsy eyelids blink open as Corvo wakes up to a hammering headache and an unsettled stomach which greet him; cautiously he looks around his ‘cell’ as he sits upright. Idly he starts throwing and catching a loose brick as he gains his bearings. _Either these guys have a sick sense of humour or its just coincidence but this place is smaller than Coldri-_ Corvo shakes his head, he may be free from that place physically but mentally he knows a part of himself is sitting in that dammed chair. Snapping out of his darkening musings he glances down at a skinny plague rat trying to nibble his boots, drawing a deep breath he gathers and braces himself as he possesses the small rodent.

Escaping the tiny cell was just too easy for him; whalers were few in number and distracted, hounds stayed clear of rats, the red coated man was absent. To any known criminal like himself it put him on edge looking for the slightest slip of a trap in place. _This isn’t right, is he testing me? Or toying with me? Like a carrot in front of a Donkey on a string…Ugh why do all the people I meet have to be so manipulating and misleading?_

Corvo pauses hidden on a rooftop his anxiousness replaced with impatience and anger as he summarises his day; saved Emily, had a drink with ‘allies,’ poisoned, imprisoned…betrayed by those he considered friends, yup Corvo was not a happy bunny. Like most in his position he was pissed and hurt by them all, _oh God who was in on it? Samuel and the loyalists, were the others? What will Emily think?_

As the sunset splashed across the sky the outcast man gathered a plan; either way it was completely insane to some.

But that didn't matter the _**ex** -_protector had a date with a certain assassin.


	3. Silent but deadly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes its the things we can not see which catch us the most unaware.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own dear Corvo

Behind the cover of darkness Corvo stalked through the various ground floor corridors and stale water which flooded them, he continued on despite the chill that penetrated his bones from the waist deep areas. The man carried on with determination in his ridged strides ignoring the shivering and coughing in his aching body; _I have to find Daud or my things….But mainly Daud._

The tell tale signs of fish with a taste of flesh became present as the water rippled and teeth scraped his boots; Corvo hoisted himself up onto a beam clothes soaked to the bone and teeth chattering behind his assassin mask. He huddled on the sodden wood as he took a breather, he seemed to be slowing down _must be the water_ *cough* _I need to find heat and soon I feel so cold but… my head is burn..ing ..I-_

 

_\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Feverish eyes rolled under closed eye-lids as Corvo tried to regain consciousness; sweat slid down his face and short gasps escapes his lips as the fever grew more intense. The ill man never heard the water splash slightly as a masked man approached him with caution; the stranger fragmented like shattered glass for a moment before reappearing opposite the perched man on the wood.

 


	4. Pardon?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daud is 100% done with Corvo and his sassy attitude

Pale eyes fluttered open, squinting from the slight light that shone through a battered curtain; _I've got to stop waking like this_ Corvo mused slowly taking in the sodden mattress beneath him and testing twitching his aching limbs trying to avoid any possible attention.

“You are either very naïve, brave or stupid” a gravelly voice filed the silent room _so much for undetection_. A shadowy figure appeared in sight broad arms crossed nonchalantly leaning on the door frame, two fingers tapping together on his arm.

“Although I must admit prancing around in a freezing river with a fever over 90 degrees, _toward_ your previous kidnappers isn't something I see often.”

_Couldn't_ _this guy just shut up already? Dam my head, it wasn't the best plan granted but it was something! I got my sword back at least and I'm back in the Whalers Lear by the looks of things wait-_

“Daud?” Corvo croaked voice raspy from lack of use, narrowing eyes followed the shadow as it moves to sit by his side on a chair.

“I offer you the chance to use imitative and flee, which you manage, and then suddenly head back from that roof” we were watching the whole time went unsaid “what are your intentions bodyguard? Because I cannot figure you out, a man who has killed to prove innocence, then a man who apprehends enemies but does not kill and proudly bears the mark for all to scrutinise.” Corvo looks Daud in the eyes tension between them radiating in waves.

“I need your help”

“Pardon?”


	5. Negotiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been 3 years...opps?

If Corvo wasn’t so delirious he might have managed to stop the slurred giggle that left his lips, then again the look on Daud’s face made the slight embarrassment worth it.

“I don’t appreciate being mocked bodyguard, are you going to answer my questions or become food for the fish?” _it seems Daud doesn’t have a sense of humour, what a pity._ Corvo shook his head sluggishly trying to clear his thoughts, half aware that pissing off his only potential ally now would be the final nail in his coffin.

“I said I need your help; I don’t know what to do…you have followers they listen to you. Surely it must be for a reason.” He managed to force out, speaking the longest sentence in months. Concentrating to not slur his speech from the fading nausea and fever. Attempting to make eye contact through feverish glazed eyes and fluttering eyelids, Corvo knew he had to reach through to the man or he would be doomed.

The man in question sat back arms resting on his knees, seeming to be digesting the ill man’s words, trying to detect any lying undertone or malice; only to conclude that Corvo’s mutterings were reluctantly sincere. He cocked his head to the side slightly gazing at the feverish man before him. Tangled hair splayed out on a sweaty forehead, flushed face and glazed eyes trying to read his own despite being half conscious.

“My followers are a team, they listen to instructions and orders – you go around in a mask inflicting chaos where ever you tread. Tell me, what are you trying to achieve?” Daud paused letting his question sink in, leaning forward slightly. “You may kill a politician but another will take their place, all for a little girl who’s too naïve,” he ridiculed taking some pleasure in digging into the man who had been causing anarchy in his territory.

Corvo tensed at the jab, clenching his teeth but refusing to take the bait _he’s just trying to test me, make me slip out information in anger._ Taking a deep breath Corvo turned onto his back and gazed at the celling, eyes tracing the cracks and dingy colouring.

“That girl is the rightful empress, she out ranks all the politicians and still has hope in her heart; still has compassion for her civilians which we both know we lost a long time ago.” He wheezes out with conviction _I doubt you had any faith in civilians in the first place, too stuck up for the fellow man._

Corvo hid a smirk at being able to shut up Daud, if only for a few seconds; in times like this one has to make the most out of the little things in life. He turned his head back to the leader, eyes challenging the other to deny it; which they both know would be a lie.

“If we help you get this girl back, what would you do? How will it be beneficial to my men? The team have seemed to have lost faith in the higher ups, for whatever reason.” Was the only response, deflecting the previous jab and leaning forward in frustration.

“Because I’m sure your fine team will love having a hands on intervention with the government officials...” the hidden smirk blew into a full grin, laughing silently at Daud’s done and suffering expression of confusion.

“what I mean is Daud _we_ can have some fun and bring down the whole government, you have to use a bit of fire to burn out the infection after all”

“What are you saying body guard? One or two take downs will hardly dent the filthy rats.”

“I want to blow up the parliament and set some of those filthy rats on fire.”

“Are you fucking serious?”


End file.
